UN speaks up for Language Act

SPEAKING UP: Executive and British Government must heed UN call on Irish Language Act

SINN FÉIN MEP Bairbre de Brún has said the British Government and the Executive must act following the call from the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for them to implement an Irish Language Act.
The Six-County MEP said that the United Nations committee has expressed concern at the fact that there is still no protection for the Irish language and Irish speakers in the North of Ireland despite official legislation in both Scotland and Wales protecting their indigenous languages.
The committee is very clear in its recommendation that the British Government and the Executive must implement an Irish Language Act, and has asked them “to provide detailed information on the progress made in its next periodic report”.
This indicates the growing pressure on the British Government to live up to their responsibilities under the St Andrews and Good Friday agreements as well as the European Charter.
Welcoming the UN intervention, Bairbre de Brún said:
“The British Government and the Executive must now act following the call from the United Nation’s Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for them to implement an Irish Language Act.”